Another Jessica Joyce SMASH. 4.5 stars! Jessica's writing just squeezes my heart and pokes at all my tender, vulnerable bits. The Ex Vows is an angsty, relatable, riveting second-chance romance. I loved the undeniable connection between Georgia (our heart-of-gold, people-pleaser with abandonment issues and a praise kink) and Eli (our anxious, swoony, it's-always-the-quiet-ones, boy). Their story is emotional, messy and hopeful and incredibly romantic, The banter and moments of comic relief had me laughing around the lump in my throat and the ache in my chest.

THE PAPER RING THING?! Just gorgeous.

Romance aside, I challenge anyone to read this and not relate to the upheaval that occurs in your life and relationships during your twenties. When you try to hold on to the people and places you love and that are most important to you, as everyone's goals, responsibilities, priorities and circumstances evolve.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK for this arc!

Read if you like:
Second chance romance
Holiday venue
Anxiety rep


The first 70% felt like it dragged out way longer than necessary. The relationship lacked any sort of angst or romance, it felt really bland. I just couldn't get invested in this couple. The last 30% was a bit more enjoyable but still not enough romance or grovelling for my liking.

I really wanted to love this one after I loved You, With a View but it just didn't hit the spot for me.

I had heard lots of good things about this book so my expectations were high. However, while the book was enjoyable, it failed to leave a lasting mark on me. I read it and then moved on. The book didn't really offer any surprises to me. It was quite obvious what was going to happen from the start. While at first I found the misfortunes with the wedding amusing, it did get a bit tiring at some point and I found myself wishing that at least something would go right. I did like finding out more about the backstory of Georgia and Eli.
That all being said and while the book had its faults, all-in-all it was an enjoyable read.

The tale of Georgia and Eli teaming up to rescue their best friend's wedding and embarking on various delightful escapades was thoroughly enjoyable. Yet, amidst the fun, it was poignant to witness the unresolved issues they grappled with. The backdrop was undeniably enchanting, though the wedding seemed plagued with misfortune at every turn. Nevertheless, the lighthearted moments served as a respite, diffusing the tension.

This narrative adeptly captured the reality of drifting apart as people mature. It struck a chord with me, observing the characters navigate these changes and the underlying message it conveyed. Love isn't solely about romance; it encompasses the evolution of friendships and the divergent paths we traverse in life. Accepting this reality can be challenging, but the story depicted it in a profoundly relatable manner. The portrayal of Georgia's people-pleasing nature and Eli's apprehensions about the future was exceptionally genuine, fostering a strong connection with the characters.

The author skillfully unveiled the past romance between Eli and Georgia, seamlessly depicting both the tender moments of their love's blossoming and the obstacles they faced as circumstances evolved.

Furthermore, the book delved into mental health and emphasized the significance of communication in relationships, handling the topic with sensitivity. It flawlessly executed the second chance romance trope. Overall, this book was a remarkable read that I wholeheartedly recommend.

I extend my gratitude to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for approving me for this ARC.

I liked this book a lot and I enjoyed it. There were some typical tropes - one bed - but it was done in a way that didn’t feel too cliche. Because Georgia and Eli are exes, they had lots of lovely sexual tension built up, and when they gave in, it never felt rushed because they had history. There’s spice too in the story, though sometimes I don’t think it necessarily added to the story.

What did annoy me was the extent of the disasters for the upcoming wedding. How can it be that bad? I know everyone was in a panic but some of the decisions made were silly too.

It was a quick read where most of the book spans across a few days. The main characters had some depth but I didn’t care about them that much. I did like that the side characters each had their own personalities so you felt like you got to them a bit as well.

It’s a good book but, ultimately, forgettable. Would I recommend it? Yes, as part of a list of other suggestions.

I’ve rated this 3.5 stars, rounded down.

⭐️If i could give this book infinite stars i would⭐️

Jessica has yet again written a book i am absolutely in love with (not that im surprised because she’s just brilliant). The way Jessica spins words just makes me feel like im watching a movie inside my head and paints such a colourful and vibrant atmosphere.

i can’t even describe how much i love Georgia and Eli, i really related to both of them which is sometimes hard when it comes to romance books because i feel like i always relate to the fmc more but Eli’s struggles with anxiety and Georgias struggles with finding a space where she fits while navigating her late 20’s just felt like i was looking through a mirror.

this book was one of my most highly anticipated books of 2024 and i think it’s just earned reread status (along side beach read and YWAV)

thank you to Jessica Joyce, Netgalley and Random House UK for sending me this arc!

brb going to listen to Paper Rings by Taylor Swift

Such a beautifully written book where the characters felt all too real in the absolute best way. Amazing character development and storytelling. An emotional roller coaster at the end. (Full of happy tears)
Also such a fun storyline with lovable side characters. Full of hilarious banter and fantastic chemistry between the main characters.
I absolutely loved this book.

Whether you’re a fan of second chance romances or not, you absolutely need to get your hands on a copy of The Ex Vows when it comes out.

From the moment I read Jessica Joyce's debut novel, I knew she was an author to keep an eye on. With her debut, she introduced us to her talent for writing romance that not only delivered on the romantic elements, but also with deep emotional themes and flawed yet fully realised characters. Despite it only being her second novel, she goes above and beyond with The Ex Vows.

I was genuinely blown away by this book, and I have no doubt that this book will cement Joyce as a star in the romance genre. I fell so in love with Georgia and Eli’s story and savoured every page. This book was everything I hoped for and exceeded all my expectations. It’s definitely the best romance book I’ve read so far in 2024.

From the compelling plot to the humorous banter to the swoonworthy romance, The Ex Vows has it all. On top of the romance, I loved the witty dialogue and the found family. I also really appreciated the mental health representation, which I found really authentic - especially because the author depicted anxiety in a male character, which I feel isn’t too common.

An easy five stars!

this book was so beautifully written that I’ll never get over it. second chance romance and best friends to lovers are two of my fav tropes and this was absolutely perfect.
I loved the first book from the author but this one right here? It’s absolutely her best one yet. I cried my eyes out but it was so worth it.
Georgia and Eli are perfection and absolutely so meant to be. I love them!! I was truly rooting for them because they deserve the world.
Both characters are extremely relatable to me and I could see a lot of myself in both of them.
I laughed, I cried and I swooned with their story.
This is truly a masterpiece and everyone needs to read it!!!!

pub date is July 16.

thank you Jessica Joyce and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

4 ⭐️

Ohh my gosh Jessica does it again, this time with even better heartfelt characters.

Eli and Georgia relationship is a definition of paper rings by Taylor swift!

This is one of the best second chance romances I have ever read.

You follow Georgia pov through out the book, which is usually something I don’t like but I never missed Eli pov and actually thought it made sense, I felt that you were re-falling in love with Eli through out the book, because truth be told I did hate him at the beginning, but after discovering his struggles with mental health, you just instantly fall in love with him.

I loved the trio- but this trio actually worked Adam relationship with both of them was so special- although we don’t have Eli pov we can see love he shared for Adam, it was so sweet watching them support him on his wedding day.

I did find the book was quite slow to start, and I found myself bored through parts but overall the book was amazing.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me access to this book for a honest review

➳ <b>1 star</b> ✩
⤿ a spoiler free arc review


💌 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽:
⤿ single pov
⤿ second chance
⤿ friends to lovers
⤿ one bed
⤿ forced proximity
⤿ found family
⤿ anxiety/mental health rep


if you know anything about me, it's that i love a *good* second chance romance. there's just something so beautiful about the heartbreak and angst behind a 'right person, wrong time' scenario that is so painful yet addicting to read. the PAIN, the ANGST!!! it’s truly one of those tropes that you can go your whole life hating but read one beautiful book with the most gorgeous prose and never understand how you could ever hate the premise of “right person, wrong time”. reading this however, i can understand the pure unadulterated rage one can feel. here it was the wrong person, at the wrong time, the whole time. i felt no chemistry between the two characters, and if someone could open the dictionary to find the word “grovelling” and thrust it into eli’s face, i would finally know peace.

every character was so one dimensional i wanted to claw my eyes out with a tablespoon. i wish i was being overdramatic.

you see georgia being this mirrorball, this is me trying people-pleaser BUT THOSE THREE DESCRIPTORS ALL ALLUDE TO THE SAME THING - she was a pushover with no spine who needed to grow up and learn to say no. and to be honest, i wouldn’t even mind all that much if she actually received some character development, where she grew i don’t need to know about how her “secret praise kink purrs” when i know nothing about her life, or her history, or anything truly definitive about her character.

eli was bland. very bland. like this man for sure does not season his chicken. he, without a doubt, eats bland chicken. now i’m slightly hazy about the laws in the us but i’m pretty sure this he could be arrested for cannibalism. i’ll need someone from the states to double check though.

side characters where?? i see nothing and no one. their mutual friend - i think his name was adam(?) - had barely any page time which was odd considering it was his wedding they were saving, and his fiancee/wife who’s name i don’t even remember (tis grace) was also just, <i>there</i>. her super-precious-to-her bff/roommate jamie (who’s name i also forgot) IS NEVER EVEN THERE!! it’s like the author planned a character cast of two then realised that would be too boring so she added in more characters, but kept the boring-ness.

oh and the plot? it was so boring: georgia and eli, childhood friends who have broken up, try to save their friend adam’s wedding after the venue burns down and eventually bang. that is literally it.

the whole inclusion of the "paper rings" plotline/side plot (?) felt very tacky to me, as if it was a way to redeem eli without him actually apologising for anything.

oh the reason why they broke up you ask? he prioritised his job over her. that was it.
so yeah, no real tension, no real stakes and no un-forced chemistry. i hate it here.


thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my *honest* thoughts!

Jessica Joyce did it again!!! Her books are always so well written and beautiful 💞

"When I say I'm still in love with you, I mean the first time I saw you and right now. I mean every second in between.

This book was written so so so beautifully and the story had such a great backstory and I was so immersed with the characters.
I think my favourite part about this book was the found family aspect of it. I absolutely loved how close the characters were. The mental health representation in this book was also done really really well. I felt so connected to Georgia and she's just honestly a very real and relatable character. As someone who is a people pleaser and finds it hard to say 'no', this book really made me feel seen. And Eli is just such a green flag. I doubted him a little in the beginning because I didn't know the reason for their first breakup (it's a second chance romance), but I honestly think they both were always meant to be. They just needed some time to grow and learn about themselves as a person. The ending was absolutely perfect and I'm so glad I read this book.

I love second-chance romances, but usually they're not done very well. Jessica Joyce did an excellent job at writing a perfect second-chance romance. Her writing is just so beautiful, real and raw. It makes you feel all the feelings. This book is not only a very cute, feel-good romance story; it also touches on how it feels to be in your 20s and all the issues that come with that. I highly recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the arc!

I liked the background story and how they were lifelong friends, then Georgia and Eli get together and move to NYC. He prioritises his job over her, and she leaves him.
I wanted to like this one, but it wasn't one of my favourites. The characters were nice enough. The story was fine. But it was rather drawn out- how can people take 9 days off for someone else's wedding? It just seemed implausible.

The disasters that kept happening with the wedding did keep it entertaining. And some very swoon worthy moments towards the end redeemed it for me.

The twisty paper rings - so sweet
Close friends
Second chance romance
Forced proximity.

Jessica Joyce really took the tropes I hate the most — second chance, miscommunication, childhood friends to lovers — and made me love this book? It just felt so raw and real and the issues that Georgia was going through resonated with me so much. I am also so so glad that there wasn’t a then/now timeline because I’m just not a fan of those, but instead the past was woven into the present timeline and honestly I feel like it packed so much more emotion than going back and forth between timelines would’ve. This book just perfectly encapsulates the feeling of loneliness and the struggle of friendships in your twenties I couldn’t stop crying because of how deeply I related to Georgia’s fears and anxiety over losing and keeping friends and how adulthood takes away the simplicity of the way friendship used to be when you’re younger. I’m rambling but I just love this so much and simultaneously hate how much I felt and cried during this book it’s just a love letter to people who struggle with friendships, you’re not alone <3

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

When I expected to read something about exes with unresolved feelings, I didn't anticipate engaging with their messy, genuine, complicated yet deep, realistic, passionate, embracing, heartfelt love story so much! The pacing was perfect. The back and forth between the past and present events was excellent and I loved the banter, the steam, the love confessions and every single detail of this story.

this was such a cute and unique concept i absolutely loved it! i love the writing so much. really connected to the fmc!

This was my first Jessica Joyce book, but WOW did she deliver. I'm typically not a huge fan of second chance romance, but this was done so well. The characters felt so real and the story, while very entertaining, touched on so many relatable yet heavy topics in a way that made me feel seen as a reader. I loved the relationship and dynamic between Georgia and Eli. They love each other, yes, but they're also each other's best friends. The way that seem to move in tandem, yet didn't force anything was so refreshing. Plus, he calls her Peach and that's everything.

Not only were the romantic relationships giving everything you could want, but the friendships and found family dynamic were so well written and developed. The emphasis on these relationships and fears surrounding them made the book so much more relatable to me.

This book had me giggling, swooning, and tearing up. An easy 5 star read.

I will definitely read more from Jessica Joyce! This was really well written, fairly emotional and really enjoyable. Georgia and Eli were brilliant main characters and were a great match for each other, the supporting characters too were well described and fitted in well to the storyline. at no points did this get slushy, it was just fun and lovely!

I was so excited to read this after having absolutely loved YWAV and let me tell you that it did not disappoint. At all.
I loved everything about this and that’s saying a lot because I’m not the biggest fan of second chance romance. But after this, I think I might give this trope another chance.
I loved Georgia so much. The way she thought, the way she acted, you couldn’t help but root for her and love her.
I loved seeing Eli deal with his anxiety and the way he wanted to get better for himself and Georgia.
The secondary characters were a great addition too. I loved their group dynamic. It felt really authentic and natural.
I think Jessica Joyce has become one of my auto buy authors!